Maelstrom
by ffreaderwriter
Summary: Toby and Oz go out on a call that sends Toby's life on a tailspin.
1. Chapter 1

Oz leaned up against the ambulance, enjoying the last bit of his strawberry smoothie. It was just too hot. Mid-shift or not, he had to something cold going down his throat. He was trying to ignore his partner, who was slouched in the shotgun seat, fingers laboriously texting someone, probably Olivia. He shook his head; he could not figure what was up between Toby and that girl_. Their relationship seemed like a yo-yo. One minute everything's peachy, the next they aren't speaking__._

Toby ignored Oz thoughts continuing to text Olivia.

A call crackled through the ambulance's radio. Oz tossed the empty cup into a trash can and jumped into the driver' seat. At least this time he'd gotten to finish a drink. "A lady passed out in her apartment." Oz said.

Toby nodded, finishing up on his phone. "Who called it in?"

"A guy from the apartments across the street," Oz answered. "Said he just happened to look out the window and saw her seem to faint. When he didn't see her get up after a few seconds he called it in."

"What was he doing staring in the woman's window?" Toby asked.

"I bet she's hot!" Oz said, a mischievous smile forming on his face. "He was just working away on his computer, or whatever, and he leans back to stretch and then before his eyes appears this gorgeous woman and he just can't look away." Oz's voice takes on a playful tone as he stretches in his seat for emphasis.

He could tell Toby was grinning.

The ambulance rocked to a halt in front of an apartment complex. Oz killed the siren and began to pull out the gear as Toby went in search of the building's manager. The three men, followed by a few residents drawn by the activity, found the fourth floor apartment. Toby used his squib key when the manager, unsettled by the possibility of the emergency in his normally quiet building, fumbled and dropped his ring of door keys for the second time. An acrid, familiar odor drafted from the open door. Toby and Oz looked at reach other immediately recognizing the odor. "Maybe we should wait, man."

Toby reached inside his bag pulling out a mask to put over his face. "She could die and this whole place burn down before anyone gets here. I'm going in. Get these people out of here."

"Toby!' Oz called out to his friend, but he was already inside the apartment. Oz turned back to the apartment manager who looked two shades paler than he had just moments earlier. "You need to get everyone out of the apartment. "Now!"

"W-Why?" the manager stuttered.

"Because we think your tenant was trying to cook meth in her apartment." Oz said bluntly trying to break the manager out of his near stupor. An exclamation of "Oh, my lord" could be heard as people immediately began pushing to get out the way.

He walked through the rooms quickly and found the woman lying on her side in front of the kitchen stove. He smiled, Oz was correct; long blond hair flowed across angelic features and a peasant blouse and jeans revealed a lovely figure. She was definitely good looking. A rattle from the stove got his attention. A pot jittered on a glowing red burner, smoked billowed out of the top of it. If someone hadn't called the paramedics, they would have soon called the fire department. He reached across the woman to flip the control knob. A cloud of fumes stung his eyes and burned down his throat even through his mask. He knelt at the woman's side, coughing and working to get his breath back. He did a rapid evaluation of the woman.

He heard a shout, "Toby, you okay in there?"

"Yeah, found her. Looks like a small contusion from the fall, but it's pretty nasty in here. I'm pulling her out. We can work on her in the hall. Call it in."

The small speech had winded him. He turned the woman over onto her back. Suddenly, the woman eyes popped open, looking about wildly and she began flailing her arms at him. "Get away from me. What are you doing?"

"Ma'am. I'm trying to help you." Toby answered trying to keep the woman still. "You passed out."

"No," the woman finally managed to make contact with Toby yanking his mask off his face. "Get away."

Toby knew he needed to get her out of the apartment as soon as possible, and he could tell that reasoning with her would not work. He grabbed her underneath both arms and dragged her out using the fireman's technique.

Toby stopped outside the apartment laying the once again unconscious woman on the floor in the now empty hallway and immediately began coughing.

"What happened in there? Are you okay?"

"She woke up" was all Toby could get out before coughing again. "I'll be fine. I just need some fresh air." Toby said in response to his friend's worried thoughts.

"Haz-mat is on its way and the building has been evacuated – or at least I told the manager the building needed to be evacuated." Oz said still looking at Toby worriedly.

"Good, let's go before she wakes up again."

Toby climbed into the back of the rig to monitor the patient. He wondered if she had gotten more of the stuff in her lungs than he had. He decided to use the nonrebreather mask rather than nasal cannula; she would need the additional oxygen.

"Oz call it in it." Toby reminded his partner.

"Metropolis General, this is Ambulance number 74. We have a patient with meth inhalation. She is currently unconscious, though was quite agitated earlier. Her breathing is shallow and she is tachycardic."

The rig eased into traffic, siren on.

"I'm fine, Oz." He fitted the woman's mask and adjusted the gas flow rate without looking up.

He had noticed Oz's worried stare twice so far and his friend's head was full of nervous twittering.

"No, I'm not going to take a puff off our patient's oxygen." Their eyes met in the rear view mirror.

"Hey, it was just a thought. You were really coughing up there." Oz shrugged, turned his eyes back to the road and drove for the hospital.

Toby found it was hard to concentrate. The tickle that had started at the back of his head at the apartment was growing into an all-over ache. _Just a headache,_ he thought, _if I close my eyes for just a moment, it will go away._ He forced his eyes open. He had a patient to care for. _Take some deep breaths and focus._ The pain had grown exponentially. He could feel cracks spider-webbing across the wall in his mind. He took breaths as deep as his lungs would let him; trying to remain calm and strengthen the wall.

Random thoughts began poking through the cracks like enemy invaders finding the weakness in a city's walls._ I can't believe he would cheat on me… with her....Hmmm…what am I in the mood for now… chocolate cookie or milkshake?.... Oh, can you believe she is wearing that? ….. An ambulance…right behind me…what do I do now?_

His pulse throbbed in his temples; it felt like his head was coming off. He could feel his heart banging in his chest. He needed more air. _If I have to leave work one more time to get that kid out of trouble… Did that really cute guy just look at me?...What is wrong with this traffic?… _It was taking all the concentration he had to keep from being over run.

He blinked, trying to see the woman on the gurney in front of him. He had to take care of his patient. The rig swayed. He could feel sweat running down the side of his face. Daylight seemed to be draining away. Everything slid sideways. He heard Oz call his name from very far away.


	2. Chapter 2

"Toby!" Oz yelled. He looked back and forth between the traffic in front of him and his friend passed out behind him. He cursed underneath his breath. As the Traffic came to a stop in front of him, he quickly focused back on it. The last thing he needed now was to get into a wreck. _Okay, focus Oz. This is not the time to panic. You can do this. You are trained to handle emergency situations. _

Oz keyed the radio, trying to keep his voice steady, waiting for the dispatcher. "Yes, this is Ambulance 74, Metropolitan General. I am transporting one female, mid-twenties. Victim of suspected Methamphetamine inhalation. My partner has passed out in the back of the ambulance, probably due to exposure as well. Vital signs on both are unknown. I am requesting that someone meet me at the ambulance when I arrive."

Oz put the radio back glancing once more at Toby slumped in the back of the ambulance. _You're going to be okay. _ He didn't know if Toby could hear him or not. He reached forward and two harsh wails blared through the air. A sedan and a pickup truck crept onto the curb, opening the lane in front of him. He edged up to the intersection. Cross traffic yielded to three more siren blasts, he threaded the ambulance through the intersection and sped forward.

Oz turned off the street, drove up the approach to the emergency entrance, and screeched to a halt as the ER's double doors slid open. Olivia rushed out to the ambulance. Oz saw the worried look on her face and it mirrored his own thoughts. Oz raced around to the back of the ambulance flinging open the doors. Olivia's breath caught in her throat at the sight of Toby's limp form leaning against the side of the ambulance. She quickly composed herself, pushing aside her feelings. "Steven," she called out to the assistant next to her. "Take care of the patient. Oz and I will get Toby."

Oz grabbed the gurney, helping Steven remove it from the back of the ambulance. As soon as it was out of the way Olivia and Oz climbed into the back of the ambulance to assess Toby.

"Toby. Toby." Olivia called out his name, getting no response at all. She put a hand on the paramedic's chest, his shirt was damp with sweat, and she could feel his chest rise and fall irregularly as he struggled to breath. She reached forward, touching his forehead. "He's burning up."

"Are you sure that it was meth?" Olivia asked without turning away from Toby, opening his eyes to check his pupils. The unconscious man groaned.

"It certainly smelled like it." Oz answered.

Toby's eyes were completed dilated. "Didn't you know to wait?" Olivia asked. The question came out harsher than she intended for it to, but she couldn't apologize now.

"Toby insisted on going in and getting her." Oz said. "You know how he is."

Toby's heart was racing. He had all the symptoms of meth inhalation.

Another hospital worker came out with a gurney. "Help me get him on here." Olivia instructed. Oz carefully picked up his friend and placed him on the gurney. Olivia hurried him into the hospital. Right before she reached the door she turned back to Oz. "You can call your boss, but you're not going anywhere. You have to be checked out too."

Oz paced up and down the hallway. He had been cleared for having any inhalation problems. He had been told that he just might want to take it easy for the next few days, but other than that he was fine. He was not worried about himself at this point. _How could he have let Toby go in that apartment by himself? There is no telling what that mess did to Toby's brain. _

He had already tried the floor nurse's patience thin with his questions, and despite the warning in the woman's stare, Oz was about to approach the nurse's station yet again when he spotted Olivia come out of a room down the hall. He hurried to catch up, matching her stride, but she was looking so hard at the chart she carried that she seemed unaware of him.

"Hey, Liv." Oz said cautiously. "Do you know anything yet?"

She looked up and seemed almost startled at his approach. "No." She shook her head sadly. "We have him on an IV now to keep him hydrated, and to try to flush the toxins out of his system. We're not sure the extent of the damage to his lungs at this point. He's on oxygen, but he is breathing on his own." She looked away momentarily and when she looked back Oz thought he saw a tear in her eye. "His fever hasn't broken yet and his heart rate is still elevated."

Oz ran his fingers through his hair worriedly as he quickly paced back and forth in front of Olivia. _This can not be happening. This just can not be happening. _Oz took a steadying breath, once again facing Olivia. "When can I see him?"

"He needs to get some rest now, Oz" Olivia said, and then relented. "You can go on and see him now. You probably need to call Ray, Oz. He's going to want to know."

"Yeah." Oz said. He did not look forward to making that call.

"Are you okay, Oz?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, _I'm _fine." Oz said, once again mad at himself.

"This was not your fault, Oz" Olivia locked eyes with him, holding his gaze. "This was not your fault."

Oz held her gaze until he could not stand it anymore. He looked away giving her the a small nod.

"You said that you warned Toby about going in there and he insisted on going. Isn't that right?" Olivia asked, sternly.

A soft "Yeah.", was the only response that she got.

"Oz, beating yourself up over this isn't going to do anybody any good." Olivia said, her tone softening. "Toby's going to be just fine. He's a fighter. You know that."

Oz sniffed, rubbing his hand across his nose. "Yeah, you're right."

Olivia put her hand on Oz's arm. "I have to go and finish my rounds now, okay? But, if you need anything you just let me know, alright?"

Oz nodded slightly at her as she turned to walk away.

"Hey, Liv?" She immediately turned back to face him. "Did you find Toby's cell on him? I know he has Ray's number on there."

"No. " She shook her head.

"It must still be in the ambulance then." Oz turned to head back to the rig.

He found it jammed in a corner near the front. He flipped it open, quickly finding the saved list of numbers. He found the one listed 'Ray' and nervously waited for the phone to pick up_. _

"Toby," the voice answered pleasantly. "What's going on?"

"Um… this isn't Toby." Oz began hesitantly. "It's Oz. Toby's in the hospital."

Ray's voice immediately became serious. "I'll be right there."


	3. Chapter 3

Oz nervously paced the hallway in front of the visitor's lobby, trying to figure out what he was going to say to Ray. He hadn't really had to deal with the guy that much in the past, so he wasn't exactly sure how he would react. He knew that Ray had been a steadying force in Toby's life and probably the closest thing to a father figure he had ever had since he had bounced from one foster home to another after losing his mom. With Toby's recent revelation of his "gift" he also knew that Ray had been the person who had helped Toby get it under control. What he didn't know was if Ray knew that he knew and how he would react to that piece of information.

At the sound of quick footsteps approaching, Oz looked up to see a tall, slender, older man with perfect posture approach looking very worried Ray. "What happened?" Ray asked sternly.

"Why don't we go in here?" Oz said, motioning toward a separate room that was used to give patient's families privacy. "We can talk in private." Oz saw Ray tense as a suspicious look came to his eyes.

Oz closed the door behind them. "You can take a seat if you'd like." Oz said.

"That's alright. I think I'll stand."

Oz took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage before starting his story. "Toby and I responded to a call where a lady had collapsed. When we got there it smelled of meth. Toby insisted on going in after her."

Ray took a quick intake of breath at the news. "Do you have any idea what this could do to Toby?"

"Yeah, I do." Oz snapped back. "Toby told me about his ability. That's why I wanted to have this conversation here, away from anyone overhearing."

"Toby told you?" Ray asked. Oz could hear the surprise, and even worry in his voice.

"Yes." Oz answered. "I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt Toby."

"Other than let him go into a meth house without protective gear. " Ray shot back.

"Hey, you don't think I feel horrible about this right now?" Oz yelled back him. "Yes, I hesitated and my best friend is now unconscious in the hospital because of it. Is that what you want to hear?"

Oz watched the older man take a deep breath. His tone was much calmer when he spoke. "No. I apologize. I don't mean to take this out on you. How is Toby?"

"He's unconscious right now. He's on oxygen, his heart rate is elevated and he has a fever. They are trying to keep him as comfortable as possible and flush the drugs out of his system."

"Even though he's unconscious, would his subconscious be active like giving him nightmare or something?" Oz asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I honestly don't know. I fortunately haven't had to deal with this situation before." Ray responded shaking his head. "You know what meth can do to ordinary people. Hallucinations, delusions, paranoid thoughts. But, with Toby I'm just not sure how it would affect him. What was he doing right before he collapsed?"

Oz closed his eyes at the movie of what happened earlier played through his head. I noticed that Toby was keeping his head down. He began to take deep breaths while clenching and unclenching his fists.

"That's what he does when he is trying to block out other people's thought." Ray stated. "The drug must have broken down the wall Toby keeps up between himself and the rest of the world." Ray said, adding a pained sounding "Oh, Toby"

"What if I told Olivia?" Oz blurted out. He had wanted to say something earlier to her, but hadn't. He didn't know if Olivia would believe him, but he wanted to do whatever he need to so that Toby would be okay.

"What?" Ray asked. "Why?"

"Maybe she can help Toby better if she knew the whole story." Oz answered.

Ray cocked his head to one side as he answered. "Just how is telling her going to help?"

"I don't know." Oz gestured, flinging his arms out from his sides. "Normally a doctor does better with all the information they can gather about a patient."

"Olivia does not need to know." Ray said firmly.

Oz started to protest, but Ray held up his hand stopping him. "I don't see her knowing, helps the situation any. How do you even know she would believe you and not think you were having some after affect yourself? Plus, this is not our story to tell. I prefer the least people that know about this the better, if Toby wants Olivia to know he should be the one to tell her."

Oz crossed his arms across his chest studying the older man for a few moments.

"I can tell you don't like the idea, but I think it is best for now." Ray answered calmly.

Oz took a breath. "Okay, alright. For now. I won't say anything to Olivia."

"Thank you." Ray gave Oz a small smile.

"Can I see him now?" Ray asked.

"Yeah." Oz said. "Olivia said he needs his rest, but we could go into see him."

Oz led the way to the room. He hadn't gone in to see Toby yet. He had waited to explain things to Ray.

Oz opened the door. The room was quiet except for the sounds of the machines that were attached to Toby. Soft, rhythmic beeps and a visual display traced his partner's blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and temperature on one. Metal stands held several transparent bags running intravenous fluids into him through tubes. Small transparent tubes snaked around his head and fed oxygen into Toby's nose. Oz knew about these things, what they did and how they did it, but it was different seeing them attached to someone he knew.

Oz couldn't believe how pale Toby looked. He had kidded him in the past about needing to get out in the sun more, but now he looked like a ghost. Toby lay oh so still on the bed, but his eyeballs twitched restlessly under his eyelids. There was no telling was going on behind them. Oz felt another wave of guilt hit.

He glanced over at Ray and knew from his countenance that he was just as worried as himself. "So, can you help him?"

Ray looked up from his long study of Toby, "I don't know."

The thoughts had converged from singular entities into the chaotic roar of a whirlpool. They pulled him, forced him down, flailing against the unyielding current. He would struggle, break to the surface, barely enough for a gulp of air, to be pushed back down by the next wave.

He didn't want to jump. The river was so far down and the current looked so strong. But, his mother said he had to, it was the only way.

His mother haunted his unconscious, and now, no longer restrained, those memories hit him. The images were so distorted and came at him at him so quickly that he couldn't process them. She seemed so big, her arms strong, protecting. Her face so peaceful. She would make the chaos stop. When he reached out to her, she changed, her face twisted into a mask of pure terror. _Run._ She pulled him along, urging, spreading her terror into him. Running and running without end. He didn't know why; he wanted to stop and ask, but couldn't. They ran through doors that materialized out of thin air in front of them and vanished behind them. Suddenly, one door opened onto the edge of a cliff and below was the churning river. He would fall. He tried to hold onto her hand, to stay near her. The whirlpool roared up at them. Her lips didn't move, but her thoughts struck through him_; jump, it is the only way._ His mother's image faded. He fell out of her grasp. Down into chaos.


	4. Chapter 4

Oz's head dipped before snapping back up while he slouched half asleep in the hospital chair. His eyes remained opened for just mere seconds before closing once again. Olivia quickly walked down the hall reading the chart as she went. She stopped at the nurse's station handing over the chart. "Mr. Franklin, in Room 234, is now sleeping. He should be fine throughout the rest of the night. If anything happens let me know."

The station nurse smiled. "Yes, ma'am"

Olivia glanced up and saw Oz asleep down the hall and shook her head. She quietly walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Oz" she whispered.

The paramedic mumbled with his eyes still closed, "Hey there beautiful."

Olivia stifled a laugh waiting for Oz came to his senses. "Hmm. What?" He opened his eyes shifting in the chair.

"Oz, go home." Olivia said sitting down next to him. "You look miserable."

Oz ran a hand over his face trying to wake himself up. "No, I'm going to stay here."

"He's sleeping Oz. You should be too." Olivia gently prodded. "I have been around you enough to know you don't do well sleep deprived."

"I want to be here when he wakes up." Oz countered.

"I will call you as soon as something happens. You know that."

"Yeah, I know" Oz said. "But, I still want to be here."

Olivia could tell she wasn't going to win this argument. She rose from her chair patting the paramedic's shoulder, "Well, let me see what I can do about getting you somewhere else you can sleep."

"Thanks, Olivia." Oz said gratefully looking up at her.

"Did you call Ray?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," Oz motioned towards the door behind him. "He's sitting with Toby now. I thought I would give him some privacy."

Olivia nodded slightly. She knew that if there was one thing that Toby valued, it was his privacy.

*********

Detective Charlie Marks rubbed her eyes wearily while she took a momentary break from her case. It just didn't make any sense. She should probably just go home and start on it tomorrow. No one would blame her. She looked around the practically empty office, no one else would even know. She hated things just lingering around unsolved. She still felt like she needed to work harder than the guys to prove she belonged there. _Where was Toby with one of his tips you when need him. _She wondered where did that thought came from, She must be more tired than she thought. She pushed away from the desk. Definitely time for some coffee.

"Charlie."

The detective jumped at the sound of her name, nearly spilling the coffee she was pouring. She whirled around to see detective Becker right behind her.

The man held his hands up in an exaggerated 'don't hit me' pantomime.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said. "What are you still doing here?"

"The Menendez case." she replied, trying to hide her weariness. "Why are you here this late?"

"I thought you might be here." He said with a knowing look. "Appears I was right."

"Did you need something?" She asked.

Becker shifted somewhat. "Yeah, wasn't sure if you knew or not. You're paramedic friend is in the hospital."

"Toby?"

"No, the other guy who seems to have made himself annoyingly at home in my station."

Charlie smirked at him. A defense of Toby jumped to her lips, but she knew better than to say it. "You mean, you saw him at the hospital, or he was a patient there?"

"I was at the hospital to interview a witness when I saw him being wheeled down the hallway. I don't know what happened to him. This was the first chance I got to tell you. I thought you would want to know."

Charlie left her untouched coffee sitting on the table. "I should probably go." She turned away from him heading back to her desk to get her keys.

"Hey, I hope he's okay" He gave her a half smile as she turned to leave the station.

Charlie gripped her steering wheel tightly. She didn't know why she was suddenly so worried about Toby. She shouldn't be. She just met him, and he had been a source of irritation for her ever since. He was constantly barging into the station with vague clues about stuff that he wanted her to investigate. Then there was the whole _mind reading_ thing. That had taken some adjusting to, and she still wasn't completely sure she was comfortable with it.

But, Toby had helped her out. He had saved her life in fact. She shuddered to think what would have happened if he hadn't shown up when she had been kidnapped. She had noticed to her chagrin Toby tended to jump into things without always thinking them through. That one occasion, she had been glad that he did. She couldn't be certain, but she had a bad feeling that was what had happened this time. She pressed the accelerator down further.

The attendant at the nurse's station was reluctant to give out any information beyond confirming that Toby Logan was a patient on this floor, and she had had to produce her badge to pry his condition and room number out of the woman. It was only a vague allusion to the patient's being a part of an investigation. She could say it had been a misunderstanding if anyone made a stink about it. She stopped outside the room, her hand inches above the door handle. _What if someone was in there with him? How would she explain why she was there? _She took a breath, running different scenarios through her head. Setting her shoulders she pressed the lever down and pushed the door open slowly.

She looked into the room. It was dark inside, but from the glow of the illuminated faces of the life support machines and the light that was filtering in behind her from the hallway she could make out the shape of the room's single inhabitant. She had a moment of relief that she wouldn't need to fabricate another excuse to be here. She stepped inside the room and closed the door. Moving closer to the bed, she watched the rise and fall of Toby's chest for a few moments, unsure what she should do. He was just so still. _Should she try to talk to him? What should she say? _

She was broken out of her thoughts by the opening of the door. She turned around to see an older, nicely dressed gentleman standing in the doorway holding a cup. She noticed the startled expression on his face. "Um, are you a friend of Toby's?"

"Yes, I am." he said politely. "And you are?"

"Detective Charlie Marks." she answered suddenly feeling nervous, like a child that had been caught red handed. "I'm, uh, a friend of Toby's."

"Ray Mercer. Toby has spoken of you." He gave her a small smile. "Why don't we step out in the hallway so we can talk?"

Ray held the door open for her, closing it quietly behind them. Ray scanned the now empty hallway to make sure their conversation would not be overheard. "Here, why don't you have a seat?" Charlie sat down next to the older man. Her nervousness had eased somewhat. He had a very calming air about him. She listened intently while he explained what had happened to Toby and how he knew Toby. "He's going to be okay, right?"

Ray studied her for several moments before answering. "Toby, said he told you about himself."

"Yes, he did." Charlie said.

Ray fixed the detective with a solemn gaze. "We are not sure what effect the exposure is going to have on him."

Charlie nodded.

"It goes without saying; you know that you cannot say anything about this to anyone." Ray said seriously. "If had been up to me, he wouldn't have told anyone." Ray sighed. It was the sound a man makes when he feels a bad decision has been made, but one he is resigned to support. "Toby wants to use his 'gift' to do good, to help people—"He leveled weary eyes at her, "Toby felt he could do that better if you knew his secret. He felt he could trust you."

Charlie was a bit taken aback by the amount of confidence that Toby had put in her. "You don't have to worry about me. I will never break Toby's trust."

Lightening his tone he placed his coffee cup in her hands, "Here, you look like you could use this. I can go and get another cup."

"Thanks, but" she said standing up, "I should get going."

Ray stood up with her. "It was nice to finally meet you, Detective Marks"

"Likewise," she said, accepting his extended hand. "Keep him safe."

"I try."


	5. Chapter 5

Olivia carefully opened the door checking to be sure no one saw her enter. She closed the door quietly behind her juggling the coffee cups in her hand careful to not spill them. She had to stifle a laugh at the sight in front of her. Oz lay curled up on one of the hospital's emergency cots. His face obscured by a pink furred eye mask and one foot, clad in a fuzzy bright yellow sock, stuck out from under a green flannel blanket. Even tucked into a near ball, his large frame threatened to hang over the cot's sides. He gave the impression of a giant, painted turtle, if a turtle could snore like a chainsaw.

She quietly walked over to the window; turning the blinds just enough to let in some light, but not enough that people could see in. She walked back over to Oz and knelt down beside him. She laid one coffee on the floor while she opened the lid to the other one, placing the cup in close proximity of Oz's nose. Thin tendrils of caffeine-laden steam drifted upward. She didn't have to wait long for the scent to do the trick.

She watched in amusement as Oz's nose began to twitch, followed by a long stretch. It was like watching a cat wake up from a nap. Oz finally yawned, removing the sleep mask from his eyes. "Oh, thank you," he said, sitting up and taking the coffee reverently from her.

She started to sit down on the edge of his cot, then had second thoughts, these cots were notoriously unstable and the last thing she wanted was to send both of them tumbling to the floor. She pulled over a visitor's chair. "You should thank Dr. Johnson for going on vacation this week. Otherwise you would've been sleeping in the waiting room. Oh, and if anyone asks, you did not sleep in here. He would have my hide." She said as she glanced around the room."

"Thank you, Dr. Johnson." Oz said to the room, eliciting a small laugh from Olivia. "What time is it?"

Olivia glanced down at her watch. "It's a few minutes after seven. I have to start my rounds in a bit, but I thought you could use some caffeine first."

"Thank you again for that." Oz asked, taking a sip of his coffee. "So, how's he doing?"

Oz watched Olivia's face immediately sadden. "No change really. He's still unconscious and his temp and heart rate are still elevated."

Oz nodded solemnly. "What about the lady we brought in yesterday? What's her story?"

"One of the nurses overheard her talking to the police. She said this was the first time she had tried to cook meth. That she had lost her job, was about to lose her apartment, and thought she could make money this way. Got the recipe and instructions on an Internet site and bought everything else from a hardware store, can you believe that? Lucky she didn't blow herself and her apartment into the next time zone." Olivia shrugged. "She's awake and her vitals are stable. We're not sure if she will have permanent lung damage or not."

"It doesn't make sense." Olivia said, looking down, fingering her coffee cup. "Toby should be getting better by now. He was exposed for a much shorter length of time than she was. The fact that his fever hasn't gone down almost makes me think his body is fighting against itself."

_Or at least his mind__,_ Oz thought, before quickly trying to switch the subject.

"How is Ray doing? Did he go home last night?" Oz scrubbed his hands down over his face, his last question partly muffled by a yawn.

"I don't know." Olivia said. "I offered to try and find him some place to crash, but he said no. He was still here when I left." Olivia said, before adding playfully, "I know you have to have your beauty sleep. Him, I'm not so sure about."

Oz aimed a lop-sided grin at her and ran a hand up the side of his stubbled jaw, "Hey, it takes effort to look this good"

Olivia let out a small laugh before standing. "Now that I have done my morning coffee delivery I really do need to start my rounds."

"Alright, see ya 'Liv."

She turned to head out the door, but turned back to face Oz and in a mock serious tone said, "One more thing. The showers are right down the hall on the right. If anyone asks, tell them I said it was okay. You look like you could use it." She turned back quickly exiting before he could say anything.

Oz examined himself in the full-length mirror on the back of the now closed door. His hair was sticking up in every conceivable direction. He took one whiff of his shirt and he had to agree with Olivia. A shower was a definite must. Luckily, he saw that Olivia had brought him more than coffee. He held up the pair of scrubs. _I guess these will have to do. _

Twenty minutes later Oz emerged from the showers feeling and smelling a whole lot better than he had. He walked towards Toby's room to find Ray. The found the older man was in the hallway outside Toby's room holding a coffee cup in his hand, looking tired, but dressed very neatly. "Hey, how you doing?"

"I'm a little tired." Ray confessed. "I stayed here pretty late last night, trying to see if I could get through to Toby, before I went home."

"Any luck?" Oz asked.

"No." Ray shook his head, but Oz noticed the tight lips and deepening creases at the corners of the man's eyes. He was more worried than he was willing to admit.

"I talked to Olivia earlier." Oz said nodded backwards down the hall. "She said the lady that we brought in is awake and alert now. She couldn't figure out why Toby hadn't regainedconsciousness." He paused for a moment and then added, "She said she thought it was his body fighting against itself."

"It is still his story to tell." Ray said.

Oz sighed. He understood why Ray didn't want them to say anything, but he still wasn't sure it was the right idea. He wasn't going to argue about it. "So, what do you think? Do you think his mind is at war with itself?"

"My educated guess would be, yes" Ray sighed, sadly. "I just wish I could get some kind of response so that I would know what was going on in his head."

Oz face brightened when an idea struck him. "Hey, what about that girl that Toby met - the healer. He said that she could read minds. Do you think she might be able to reach him?"

"Iris." Ray closed his eyes momentarily, inwardly beating himself for not coming up with the idea earlier. "She would be perfect for this. I have been working with her to help her out with her telepathy. I'll call her right now." Ray patted the paramedic on the shoulder as he stepped away. "Great idea."

A few moments later, Ray returned. "Iris will be here within an hour."

Oz nodded his head, his hands stuck deep in his pockets. "How's Iris doing? Toby told me about what happened with her uncle. Must be hard." He felt a bit uncomfortable trying to make small talk with Ray. He had been on the edge of conversations between Toby and Ray numerous times before. But, he had never really; actually talked to the man. Their first real conversation hadn't exactly gone over well.

"Iris is adjusting to her new surroundings quite well now with her aunt." Ray said. "Her aunt is understanding and is not trying to exploit Iris. She has been developing her skill nicely."

"That's good." Oz said, rocking back and forth on his feet slightly. Oz glanced down the hallway as the silence stretched between them. He almost wished for an emergency to come up so that it would give him something to do.

"Detective Marks came by last night." Ray said, finally breaking the silence.

Oz's swung his head around to again face the older man. "Really?"

"Yes" Ray answered, almost smiling at the pleasantly surprised tone in Oz's voice. "She's a pleasant, determined woman. We had a nice talk last night."

"Toby, will like to know she came by." Oz said.

"Our conversation last night was unlike the one that you and I had. I want to apologize for that." Ray said seriously.

"Don't worry about it." Oz said brushing the thought away with his hand.

"Oz, it doesn't take a mind reader to know that you are uncomfortable around me. I feel like that is my fault." Ray said.

"Really" Oz said. "I thought I was being so nonchalant."

Ray smiled before turning serious once more. "I know how Toby is. He has a tendency to rush into situations without thinking them through. He often wants to help people without thought of his own safety. He thinks that his ability gives some sort of protection, to know what coming. I know that you feel responsible about what happened. I made you feel that way. I apologize.

Ray saw a look of relief in Oz's eyes as the younger man spoke. "Thank you."

Ray smiled as his tone lightened. "So, have you had any breakfast this morning?"

Oz's stomach grumbled a response before his mouth could. He gave Oz a lopsided smile. "Just some coffee."

"Why don't you let me buy you something?" Ray asked.

"I have never been able to turn down free food." Oz added. "I just happen to know this great cafeteria. It's real close."

A while later they returned to the waiting room. Both men turned. A girl strode down the hall toward them. She had on jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt and a large canvas messenger bag slung across her chest bumped along her hip in rhythm to her steps. She came to a halt in front of Ray. She was delicately boned and the child-like face she turned up to the man held a deep concern.

"Hello, Iris." Ray greeted the young girl warmly.

"Where's Toby?" Iris asked urgently.

"He's right down here." Ray pointed down the hallway.

"Iris, this is Oz. He's a paramedic along with Toby." Ray said gesturing toward Oz.

Iris got a quizzical look on her face. "Oz, like _the Wizard of Oz_?"

"Yeah." Oz answered. "It's short for Ozman. It's Turkish."

"Cool. Nice to meet you." Iris said before turning back to Ray.

"Good. Now that we have everyone acquainted. Let's proceed."

As the three of them walked down the hall Ray caught Oz's eye. "Once Iris gets started, it is very important that you keep your mind as free of thoughts as possible."

Oz looked away, bobbing his head, "Well, Toby would say that's not hard at all for me to do."

"Good." Ray smiled at the paramedic, before turning to Iris. "Just do what we've talked about. If you ever feel overwhelmed, just break the connection. I know you can do this."

Iris nodded as she steeled herself and prepared to work. "Okay, thanks."

Ray opened the door, revealing Toby. He lay still except for the eyes flashing back and forth under his lids. The machine hooked up to him kept up their rhythmic pace. The lone fluorescent light above him cast his face in an eerily light.

Oz heard Iris gasp," Are you okay?" he asked.

Iris took a steadying breath. Oz could tell that she was gathering her strength. "Yeah, I'm okay. I have to do this. It was just a bit of a shock to actually see him."

"I know. Same here." Oz shook his head knowingly. Can I help you in some way?" He asked unsure.

"No." she gave him a small smile. "If I start to faint, just don't let me hit the floor."

"I can do that." Oz said, returning the smile.

Oz watched as Iris took another deep breath, pressed her lips together and glanced back at Ray. He nodded encouragement. She moved to the bedside and raised her arms, holding her hands, fingers wide, about six inches from Toby's pallid face, and worked to still her mind.

Her mind twittered nervously. It wasn't from being in a hospital. She had lost count how many hospitals she had been in. But, this was different. With she kept her distance emotionally from all the other people she had worked with. She had to in order to keep her sanity. Toby was a friend, and she had never tried anything like this before. She wasn't completely sure she was ready for it. She pushed all of her thoughts out of her mind, raised her hands over Toby's head.

_Toby, Toby can you hear me? It's Iris. I'm here to help you. __She felt an impenetrable wall in his mind. She tried to push against the wall to gain entrance. The strain caused her arms to droop somewhat. __Toby, you when you told me I was telepathic. You said that I would feel trapped in my own mind, but I was not alone. Toby, you are not alone. Please let me help you._

Iris immediately had the disorienting feeling off falling.

Oz watched as Iris's head snapped back, she wobbled on her feet. Oz rushed over beside Iris.The girl's face had lost all color, her freckles appearing as dark as a spray of ink across wax paper. Her mouth tightened, eyelids squeezed shut, the strain was hard to watch. He glanced away and saw the same grimace mirrored on his friend's face. When Iris's arms dipped the second time Oz moved behind her, holding her arms in place with his own.

Oz held his breath as several tense minutes passed. Suddenly, Oz felt the young girl go limp as she fell back onto him, unconscious.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in the chapter. Thanks again to my beta for her wonderful help. Since I always forget disclaimer, I don't own anything relating to the Listener except my idea and my computer.


	6. Chapter 6

"Iris!" Oz cried out as the young girl collapsed. He had to asses her vitals. The singular straight back metal chair was the only place for him to put her. _It'll have to do. _ He swiftly picked her up to her carry her to the nearby chair. The door swung open, just as he was placing her in the chair, revealing Olivia.

"Oz, what happened?" Oz could see the look of shock on her face, as she took in the scene.

"She fainted." Oz answered quickly.

Olivia recognized the young girl as the faith healer that Toby had brought by the hospital previously.

"Iris, can you hear me?" Olivia said the name calmly as he she lifted one of the girl's eyelids and shone the light in. A low moan emanated from Iris. When she shone the light in her other eye, she had a weak hand pushing on her arm. "What? Did I do it?" The question came out low and mumbled. Olivia ignored the question.

"Iris, can you hear me?" Olivia asked again, seeing the girl coming around.

"Mhhh Hmmm….." the girl nodded, slowly opening her eyes.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Fawcett." she said, examining the girl closely. "You passed out. I need to make sure you're okay. Can you answer a few questions for me?"

"Mhhh Hmmm . . . " Iris nodded again.

"Have you ever passed out before?"

"No." She shook her head slightly. That resulted in her head throbbing.

"Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy?"

"No."

"What's your name?"

"Iris Frost"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen"

"Okay, follow my fingers with your eyes only. Do not move your head." Olivia was pleased that the girl appeared to be more alert now and was able to follow her commands. "Iris, how do you feel?"

"I'm okay."

Olivia studied the girl for a long moment before she stood. "You appear to be fine. I would like you to stay around for a little, just to make sure. Can you do that?"

"Sure." Iris said before she turned her eyes up to Ray. "He wanted my help, but the waves they were buffeting us so. I think I may have passed out before I was finished."

"Do what?" Olivia asked, glancing between the three of them.

"Help Toby." Iris said.

Olivia walked over to Toby's monitors. His heart rate had settled back to a normal range. The dangerously high temperature had subsided as well. Olivia's gaze swung to the young girl. _She couldn't be responsible for the change. Could she?_

"Well?" Oz asked.

"Toby's heart rate and temperature have stabilized." Olivia said, disbelief in her voice.

Oz grabbed Iris a huge bear hug, lifting her off the ground. "Yes, Yes, Yes."

Olivia couldn't help but smile at the scene even if she wasn't completely sure that the girl was responsible. "Oz, be careful. She did just pass out." She reminded him.

"Oh," Oz instantly let go, placing her back down. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Iris said. "I'm just glad I could help."

Olivia glanced once more at the monitor's reading. She hadn't imagined it. His heart rate and temperature had come down. She searched for a rational, medical explanation for it and couldn't come up with one at the moment other than coincidence, which was neither scientific nor medical.

"I think that's enough excitement for now." Toby needs some peace and quiet now."

_"Yes, that is exactly what Toby needs now." _Ray thought his eyes remaining on the sleeping form for a few more moments before looking at Iris._ "Thank you."_

Olivia managed to get everyone outside of the room. Ray put his hand on Iris's shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" Iris nodded as the pair started down the hallway to the waiting room. "I want to know exactly what happened."

Oz stopped outside. "Liv, I am not going anywhere, so why don't you let me stay here."

She gave him a bemused smile. "I guess trying to talk you into doing otherwise isn't going to work is it?"

Oz shook his head. "No."

"Do you know how many rules I have broken for you already?" Liv asked.

"You know I love you for it, too."

"Will you at least try and get some rest, please?" Olivia asked. "If you don't I might just take your excuse from work away from you."

Oz held his hands up in mock surrender. "I promise I will behave."

"Fine. I see if I can get a more comfortable chair brought in her for you." Olivia gave in, opening the door to the room once again.

*******

A while later.....

Toby's eyes opened slowly, blinking several times before he realized he was awake. His throat felt like he had swallowed a bucket of sand. He opened and closed his mouth several times trying to get some liquid to form. He lifted his hand and felt the oxygen tube in his nose along with the heart monitors placed on his chest. Everything began to come back to him; the call, passing out, and falling off into the abyss. Though the last part was still a bit sketchy. He could tell that the wall seemed to be back in place. _He decided to be grateful and leave well enough alone. If he pushed and broke the fragile balance he knew he wouldn't have the strength to rebuild his defenses._

Toby turned his head to view the rest of the room. The small moment of his head caused his vision to swim out of focus. Once his vision had straightened out, he noticed Oz asleep, his chair jammed in the corner next to the bed, but not to obstruct any of the machines. Toby reached out a weak hand placing it on Oz's shoulder. Several seconds passed before Oz became coherent. "You snore." Toby said, his voice coming out hoarse and low.

"I do not." Oz protested still half asleep, before realizing that is was Toby that had said it. "Toby! Toby! You're awake! Aww, man. You really had us worried." Oz shouted as he shot out of his chair. The sentences came out so quick they were almost run together.

Toby managed a smile at his friend's excitement. "How long have I been out?"

"Nearly a day and a half, man." Oz said trying to contain his excitement, but not doing a very good job. "No, more Rip Van Winkle from you again, okay?"

"Okay." Toby said.

"Hey, can I get you something? Some ice chips?"

"Please." Toby said, once again aware how dry his mouth felt.

"I'll be right back. There are several people who are going to want to know that you're back with us."


	7. Chapter 7

"Room Service." Olivia said as she opened Toby's door. "I heard that you needed some ice. Your wish is my command." Olivia smiled and Toby returned the smile. She swore that there was a glint of a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. She raised the head of Toby's bed until he was sitting upright. "Is that more comfortable for you, sir?"

"Yes, thanks." Toby said. "I will have to compliment the hospital on their doctor's hospitality."

This time she was sure she saw it. It was faint, but it was still there -- that spark that drew her to him and sometimes infuriated her.

"Liv?"

She could tell by the way he said her name that he had noticed the change in her demeanor. "Do you know how worried everyone has been?" She asked angrily.

"Everyone?" Toby asked.

"Me, Ray, Oz." Olivia sat down in the chair next to Toby's bed placing the ice bucket on a small table nearby. She positioned herself so that she was facing Toby. "Oz has refused to leave this room since you got here. Ray has been here just about as long."

Olivia hesitated, she didn't want to sound melodramatic, like the weepy girlfriend out of an old black and white movie. "Toby, I know you want to help people. I don't want you to stop doing that. But, please, please for me . . . try to think of yourself some, too. You're not invulnerable." [D1] Now that she'd said the words she felt her eyes well up. She looked down, blinking rapidly, hoping it would pass before he noticed.

Toby lifted a shaky hand and wiped away the one stubborn tear that had fallen down Olivia's face. "I promise I will be more careful. You can't get rid of me this easily."

Olivia gave Toby a small smile. "Thank you." Olivia rose from her chair. She took a quick breath to get her emotions back in check. "I've got to get to my rounds. I'm not the only person who wants to talk to you. I just got first dibbs."

Toby grabbed Olivia's hand, giving it a quick squeeze of reassurance.

******

Charlie found herself standing outside of Toby's hospital room again. It had been a long day, at the end of a long week, she should be on her way home. The one bright spot was that she had learned from the ICU nurses, with only a little prodding, that Toby had come out of his coma and appeared to be out of danger. That should have been enough. But instead of propping her stocking feet up on the coffee table in her own living room she was standing outside his door. And, with her hand on the handle, experiencing the same indecision she'd had the last time she was here. This was stupid, she told herself, he's probably asleep, Ill just peek in for a minute. She pushed through, turning to ease the latch gently into place. She took a step toward the bed and jerked to a stop. The man was propped up against the raised head section, those amazing blue eyes looking directly at her.

She stepped forward into the room. "I just thought you might want to know about the lady that you rescued." She paused. _Why did she feel so nervous?_ "She's going to be fine. The detectives searched her apartment and she appears to be telling the truth about this being her first time to try and cook meth. She has no previous criminal history, so the judge should go easy on her. Seems like she was just down on her luck and made some bad choices with her life."

"I'm glad she's going to be okay."

Silence stretched between them. "Well, I am going to go, so that you can get some rest." Charlie said as she turned to leave the room.

"Thanks for coming to see me." Toby said. "Both times."

She turned back momentarily. "How did you …?"

"Ray told me." Toby said. "He said that you two had a nice talk."

"Yeah, "Charlie said. "He seems like a nice guy." She gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better Toby."

****

_The next day…_

Toby sat up in his hospital bed, while Olivia sat at the foot just taking a moment to look at him.

"What?" Toby finally asked. "You've been just staring at me."

Olivia blushed. "Sorry, I'm just really glad you're okay."

"I'm fine Liv, really." [D1] Toby leaned forward with one of his signature smiles, his intense gaze made her limbs weak and warmed a spot somewhere between her heart and somewhere lower.

"I know, I know." Olivia said.

"Are you sure there isn't something you want to ask me?" Toby asked.

"Well, there was one thing." Olivia said, while she shifted her position on the bed. "When Iris was doing her whatever she does…."

"So, you do believe she can heal people?" Toby asked, interrupting her with a cocked half smile.

Olivia put her finger up in protest. "I didn't say that. You just keep telling me to have an open mind, and I'm trying to do that."

"And you can't figure out how she did it?"

"Medically, no." Olivia answered. "But, that's not the point."

"After Iris did her healing thing," Olivia stopped to see if she was going to be interrupted again. Toby remained quiet so she continued. "She said while she was helping you, the waves were really buffeting her. What was she talking about?

Toby opened his mouth to try and come up with a dodge the question, when the door opened revealing Oz and Ray.

"So, are you going home today, sleepyhead?" Oz asked.

Toby smiled at his friend's perfect timing. "Just waiting on a release from the doctor."

Olivia stood up. "He seems fine to me. I'll go and finish up the release paperwork and let you guys talk.

Ray looked over at Toby. "I have a cabin in the woods. I think it would be best for you to take a few days."

"To be alone with my own thoughts." Toby finished. "You know that's not going to happen."

"Ryder said that you get the next few days off." Oz said, jumping into the conversation.

"And maybe mess up any of his equipment?" Toby asked with a bit of a smile.

"That too." Oz nodded.

"So, is he trusting you with the ambulance _alone_?"

"No." Oz said, rocking back on his heels slightly. "He's given me the next few days off as well. Something about not trusting me alone with his 'babies'. So, if you want some company…" The sentence trailed off.

"That'd be great, Oz" Toby said.

Oz smiled brightly. "I've just got one question for you."

"What's that?"

"Have you ever been out in the woods?"

Oz's face took on a look of fake hurt. "What? Us Turks are excellent outdoorsmen. We can handle anything."

"That's a 'no' isn't it?" Toby asked.

"Well, does the zoo count?" Oz countered.

"No, the zoo doesn't count."

Epilogue

Toby stopped next to Oz's car. "Thanks, Oz."

"For what?"

"Olivia said you didn't leave the hospital the whole time. Thanks."

"Oh, don't mention it," Oz said, waving off the comment as he got into the vehicle.

Toby, followed suit getting seated before saying, "It was not your fault."

"Are you doing your ..." Oz's eye widened as he got a far off look.

"No, Oz. I'm not. I don't have to. I know you." Toby shook his head, as he eased his seat belt harness into place. "So, what are all the paper bags and containers in the back.

"Oh, when I told my mom that we were going to be spending a few days in the woods. She said she would send along some food to keep me from starving since there are no convenience stores nearby. There are no convenience stores nearby, are there?" Oz said as he buckled in.

A large grin broke out on Toby's face. "No, no convenience stores."

"So, how far out in the woods are we going?" Oz cranked up the car.

"Don't know. We'll have to follow the directions Ray gave us."

"So, do you think we will see a bear?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"Really?"


End file.
